Mixing machine



May 29, 1923. 1,456,877

J. E, KENNEDY MIXING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l Invenior J. Ellennegg By 77119 fliz orne May 29, 1923. 1,456,877

J. E. KENNEDY MIXING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inveniom as, race.

Patented Adi? mxme MACHINE.

Application filed February 18, 1920. Serial No. 359,718.

To all whom it m cmwem:

- Be it known that JosnPH E. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mixing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for mixing concrete, mortar and other materials in batches utilizing a revoluble drum having charging and ischarge openings axial ly at opposite ends in which blades or buckets are provided in the interior of the drum which tend to constantly discharge the contents of the drum through the discharge opening during the revolving of the drum.

'To prevent the discharge of the material from the drum before it is thoroughly mixed a closure movable toward and awafrom the discharge opening is provided, his closure being so arranged that during the mixing operation as the material is directed toward the dischar e opening it is deflected and directed by t e closure into the drum. The invention relates particularly to a type of mixing machine of this character and as disclosed, for instance, in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,127,009, of February 2, 1915, to W. J. Judd, and No. 1,247,148 of November 20, 1917, to A. W. Ransome, in which the closure is supported to have rotative movement with the drum when in closing position and to be moved toward and away from the discharge opening, and to have a slight vibratory movement to cause the closure to seat against a flange extending around the discharge opening and inclining at an angle to the axis of the drum.

' In this type of mixing machine the mixing drum is revolubly supported by annular hearings or tracks extending around the drum and engaging with and supporting the drum upon rollers rotatably mounted upon the framework of the machine. These drum supporting tracks and rollers become quick- 1y worn with the result that the center or axis of rotation of the drum changes. To cause the closure to seat tightly against the discharge opening of the drum during the mixing operation to prevent leakage of the material as it is it is essential that the'closure be supported in line with the axis of rotation of the drum. However, in this type of machine the closure is-supported by the framework independent of the drum and as the drum supporting bearings become worn the drum opening is thrown out of alinement with the closure with the result that the closure will not properly seat.

It is the object of the present invent-ion to provide improved means to support the closure whereby the closure maybe adjusted to aline the closure to be supported to be rotated on an axis in line with the axis of rotation of the drum.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a mixing machine with my improved closure means for the discharge opening applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional detail in side elevation of the closure means showing the same in relation to the discharge opening, and means to adjust the closure relative to the axis of rotation of the drum, and showing in dotted lines the door or closure in open position.

Figure 3 is an elevational view looking at the left of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the closure supporting arm.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of the adjustable support for the closure showing the same adjusted to position transverse to the axis of the drum different to that illus-. trated in Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a support for one of the bearing supports of the closure.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

I have shown an embodiment of my invention in the drawings in connection with a mixing machine having a drum 7 of cubiform type which is supported to rotate on a horizontal axis in a line extending diagonally between opposite corners of the drum, the drum being provided at such corners with heads 8, 9, each head having a lateral flange 10, 11 in the form of a wheel constituting an annular track whereby the drum is supported for revolution upon rollers, the track 10 engaging a pair of rollers 12 and the track 11 a pair of rollers 13, and said rollers being journaled upon the framework designated in a general way by F.

The drum is revolved in a suitable manner and as shown it is adapted to be revolved from a suitable source of power by a belt (not shown) passing around a pulley 21 mounted on a shaft 22 journaled in standards 23 mounted on the framework, and the drum revolved from the shaft by a pinion 24 on the shaft meshing with an annular gear wheel 25 extending centrally around the drum.

The head 9 has an opening 14 through which to charge the materials to be mixed to the d-rum,'as from a hopper 15, and the head has an opening 16 through which to discharge the materials from the drum, both of the openings being co-axial of the drum. In this type of mixing machine a charge of material to be mixed in the drum due to the formation of the drum is constantly thrown toward the center of the drum and away from the charging and discharge openings of the drum during the revolving thereof. To discharge the material from the drum a series of blades or buckets 17 are provided in the drum these blades being so constructed and arranged within the drum that they constantly tend to discharge the contents of the drum; that is, they are so arranged that when in their lowermost position they will pick up the material in the drum and during the revolving of the drum carry the material up and as it moves above the axis of rotation of the drum will discharge and direct the material from the blades to the discharge opening,

To prevent the discharge of the material until such time as desired the discharge opening is provided with a closure or door 18 shaped to conform to the discharge opening and to rotate with the drum when in closing position, the closure being preferably dished as shown whereby when the door is in closing position as the material is discharged against the same by the blades 17 the curvature of the door will direct the material back into the drum.

The closure 18 is supported to have movement toward andaway from the discharge opening, and means are provided to move the door toward and away from the discharge opening whereby only a portion of the load of the drum, such as a wheel barrow load, or the entire contents of the drum may be discharged from the drum as desired. To support the door to be moved toward and away from the drum and to rotate with the drum when in closed position an arm 19 is mounted upon a rock shaft 20 mounted at opposite.

ends in the framework of the machine. The closure is rotatably supported by said arm .by a headed rod or bolt 26 passing through a hub portion 27 of the closure with the head of the bolt abutting against the outer end of the hub and secured in the hub by nuts 28 threaded onto the inner end of the bolt. The head of the bolt has a ball shaped portion 29 which is adapted to engage for universal movement in a socket 30 in the head on a rod or bolt 31 passing through and secured in an opening 32 in the arm 19. To secure the bolt 31 in the arm it passes through an opening in a head 33 having arecessed portion 34 with the head of the bolt seated in a countersink in the bottom of the recess, the end of the head abutting against one side of the arm and secured in such position by nuts 35 threaded onto the end of the bolt at the side of the arm opposite to the head 33 with a washer interposed between said nuts and the arm. The ball portion of the head of the bolt 26 is held in operative position in the recess in the head of the bolt 31 by a pair of bolts 36 passing through the recessed portion 34.- of the head 33 and arranged to en gage in an annular recess 37 in the hub of the closure at opposite sides of the axis thereof, said recess 37 being of greater cross sectional dimension than the bolts whereby the closure is adapted to have a slight movement transversely to the axis thereof. It

will be obvious that by this arrangement thedoor or closure is adapted to have rotative movement and also movement in an angular direction transverse to the axis of the door.

To move the door toward and away from the discharge opening means are provided to rock the shaft 20 and thereby the arm 19, this means being so arranged that it may be actuated by the operator who is attending to the charging of the drum and from the charging side of the mixer whereby the mixing machine may be operated by a single operative. For this purpose an arm 38 fixed to the rock shaft 20 is connected by a link 39 to the operating handle or lever 40 pivotally mounted upon the framewo'rkat the end of the machine opposite to the door or closure and in easy reach of the operator attending to the loading of the machine. The pivotal connection of the link 39 with the lever 40 is such that when the door is in open or closed position it will be locked in either of such positions.

In the efficient operation of the closure means it is essential that the door or closure is supported to have rotative movement on an axis in line or co-axially with the axis of the drum. However, due to the nature of the material for which this type of machine is primarily designed to mix-concretethe drum supporting rollers 12 and 13 and the tracks 10 and 11 become quickly worn due tothe splashing of the material upon the same with the result that within a short time the axis of the drum is thrown out of alinement with the axis of the closure with the result that the closure will not close or seat tightly against the inclined or angle wall of the discharge opening provided for the door to seat against leaving a space between the same and a constant leakage of the material from the drum during the operation of mixing. To obviate this the lUtl in support for the bolt.

mounting of the closure or door is arranged to have adjustment, transversely of the axis of the drum and whereby the closure is adapted to be maintained in osition in axial alinement with the drum.

the bolt 31 passes is elongated in a vertical direction. It will be obvious that due to the engagement of the head 33 with one side of the arm and the washer interposed between the arm and nutsat the opposite side that by tightening up the nuts the head will be firmly clamped to the arm and thereby the bolt secured in fixed relation to the arm. Furthermore, by loosening the nuts the bolt 31 may be adjusted upward or downward in the arm slot or opening 32. To assure the retaining of the bolt 31 in adjusted position a set screw 41 is threaded into the arm below the bolt 31 to engage the bolt within the arm opening, said screw beg in the nature of an additional bearing be resorted to ariations may scofie of my invention.

aving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a mixing machine, the combination of a revolubly supported drum having an opening axially at the end; a door for said opening; an arm pivotally supported to within the have movement toward and away from said drum opening; and means to mount the door upon the arm to have rotative movement and have adjustment on the arm transverse? of the axis of rotation of .the door.

2. n a mixing machine, the combination with a revolubly supported drum having a charging opening at one end and a discharge opening at the opposite end and substantially coaxially of the drum, of a door for the discharge opening; means to rotatably support the door independent of the drum operable to move the door toward and away from the discharge opening, and means to mount the door upon the support for adjustment transverse to the axis of rotation of the drum and adapted to be fixed in adjusted position, and said mounting being arranged to permit of universal movement of the door relative to the support.

3. In a mixing machine, the combination with a 'revolubly supported drum havin a discharge opening, of a closure for said ischarge opening, and means pivotally mount= ed independent of the drum by which the closure is supported for. universal and rotative movement and to have adjustment transverse to the axis of rotation of the drum, said means being operable to move the closure toward the discharge opening to close the same and revolve with the drum in such position and to have the closure away from said opening.

or this purpose the opening 32 in the arm 19 through which 4. In mixing machines, the combination with a revolubly supported drum having a dischar e opening, of an arm pivotally supported andependent of the drum, a closure for the discharge opening, means to mount the closure upon the arm for universal and rotative movement on the axis of the drum, and means for adjustment of said closure transverse of its axis of. rotation, and said arm being operable to move the closure toward the discharge opening to close the same and away fromsaid opening.

5. In a mixing machine, the combination with a revolubly supported drum having a discharge opening axially thereof; a closure for said discharge opening; a rocker arm supported independently of the drum; means to rotatably support the closure by said arm substantially at the axis of rotation of the drum to permit of rotation of the closure with the-drum when in closing position and means for adjustment of said clo- Y sure transverse to the axis of rotation; and

means to rock the arm to move the closure to for said opening; a rock arm; means for' supporting the closure from ,said arm substantially at the axis of rotation for universal rotative movement; and 1 means for adjusting the closure support transverse to the axis of rotation. p

7. In a mixing machine, the combination with arevoluble drum having a dischar opening axially thereof, of a door for said opening; an arm pivotally supported inde-. pendent'of the druni; and means for supporting the door by said arm substantially in line with the axis of rotation of the drum for universal rotative movement, comprising a ball and socket joint one member of which is fixed to the arm and the other member to the door, and means for holding the joint members in coupled relation.

8. In a mixing machine, the combination .the drum, comprising a shaft'threaded at one end and having a socket at the opposite end, a recessed block having a bore, said shaft being adapted to engage the block bore and an opening .in the arm with lock nuts on -the threaded end to secure the shaft and block to the arm; a shaft to which the door is secured having a ball portion at one end to engage the socket of the other shaft within the recess of the block; and bolts secured in the recessed portion of the block to engage at opposite sides of and in an annular recess in the hub portion of the door.

9. In a mixing machine, the combination with a revolubly supported drum havin a dischargeopening axially at oneend, 0 a door for said opening; a rocker arm supported independent of the drum; and means for supporting the door from the arm to be the drum, and said arm bore being elongated to permit of adjustment of the shaft sections in a direction transverse to its axis, and a set screw in thearm to adjust and maintain said shaft section in adjusted position.

10. In a mixing machine, a revolubly supported .drum having a discharge opening axially at one end, a door for said discharge opening, and means for supporting the door for universal rotative movement and adapt ed to have adjustment for maintaining the door in line with the axis of rotation of the drum and operable to move the door toward and away from the discharge opening of the drum.

JOSEPH E. KENNEDY. 

